Monographs Details:
Authority:
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub (branches pendent to 2 m long) or terrestrial and 4-5 m tall; mature branches terete, glabrous, bark grayish-brown; twigs subterete, striate to muricate, hispid or glabrate, reddish-brown; vegetative bracts persistent, subcoriaceous, striate, ovate to oblanceolate, to 2 cm long, long-ciliate. Leaves drying thick coriaceous, oblong to oblong-lanceolate or elliptic to lance-elliptic, (4.5-)8-17 X (1.2-)2-7 cm, basally rounded, obtuse or cuneate, apically long-acuminate, margins of proximal ¼ blade revolute, essentially glabrous on both surfaces (weakly hispid at very base of midrib), or glabrous above and densely hispid beneath with hairs to 1.5 mm long, often glaucous above when dry; 3-5-plinerved from at or near base with nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure; petiole terete, rugose, hispid, 5-8 mm long and 2-3 mm in diam. Inflorescence ca. 20-25-flowered, the flowers restricted to distal ¼ of inflorescence, lower nodes widely spaced and sterile, encircled at base by numerous, persistent, striate, ovate to oblanceolate bracts to 2 cm long; rachis 3-4 cm long and 2.5-3 mm in basal diam. but becoming 5-6 mm in diam. distally, glabrous or pilose, provided at nodes with minute sessile spherical glands 0.1-0.2 mm in diam.; floral bracts conspicuously reticulately veined, concave, obovate, oblanceolate, (20-)25-40 X (12-)23-30 mm, apically rounded, emarginate with tip usually curved inwardly and often split or bifid, glabrous but dorsally bearing minute sessile spherical or globular glands ca. 0.1 mm in diam.; pedicels terete, glabrous, 3-7 mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam., ebracteolate or with bracteoles which are oblong, obtuse, (2-)8-10.5 X (1-)2—2.5 mm with margins bearing spherical globular glands. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 10-12 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, truncate or with a slight basal rim, 2.5-3.5 mm long, pale green when fresh; limb submembranaceous, smooth, cylindric-campanulate, 6.5-9 mm long, translucent cream-colored when fresh; lobes triangular, acute, 1.5-4 mm long, rarely sparsely ciliate, margins bearing few to numerous sessile spherical globular glands which may rarely fuse into oblong glands; sinus obtuse or rounded; corolla cylindric, glabrous, 22-32 mm long and ca. 6-8 mm in diam., upper ¼ becoming bright red after anthesis, lobes triangular, reflexed at anthesis, 2 mm long; stamens 11.5-18 mm long; filaments alternately 2.8-4.5 mm and 5-8.5 mm long, the short ones pilose distally, the long ones pilose medially; anthers alternately 9.5-12 mm and 8.2-11 mm long; thecae slightly granular, ca. 3.5-5 mm long; tubules dehiscing by clefts 3-3.5 mm long; style ca. 26-30 mm long. Berry not seen.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub (branches pendent to 2 m long) or terrestrial and 4-5 m tall; mature branches terete, glabrous, bark grayish-brown; twigs subterete, striate to muricate, hispid or glabrate, reddish-brown; vegetative bracts persistent, subcoriaceous, striate, ovate to oblanceolate, to 2 cm long, long-ciliate. Leaves drying thick coriaceous, oblong to oblong-lanceolate or elliptic to lance-elliptic, (4.5-)8-17 X (1.2-)2-7 cm, basally rounded, obtuse or cuneate, apically long-acuminate, margins of proximal ¼ blade revolute, essentially glabrous on both surfaces (weakly hispid at very base of midrib), or glabrous above and densely hispid beneath with hairs to 1.5 mm long, often glaucous above when dry; 3-5-plinerved from at or near base with nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure; petiole terete, rugose, hispid, 5-8 mm long and 2-3 mm in diam. Inflorescence ca. 20-25-flowered, the flowers restricted to distal ¼ of inflorescence, lower nodes widely spaced and sterile, encircled at base by numerous, persistent, striate, ovate to oblanceolate bracts to 2 cm long; rachis 3-4 cm long and 2.5-3 mm in basal diam. but becoming 5-6 mm in diam. distally, glabrous or pilose, provided at nodes with minute sessile spherical glands 0.1-0.2 mm in diam.; floral bracts conspicuously reticulately veined, concave, obovate, oblanceolate, (20-)25-40 X (12-)23-30 mm, apically rounded, emarginate with tip usually curved inwardly and often split or bifid, glabrous but dorsally bearing minute sessile spherical or globular glands ca. 0.1 mm in diam.; pedicels terete, glabrous, 3-7 mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam., ebracteolate or with bracteoles which are oblong, obtuse, (2-)8-10.5 X (1-)2—2.5 mm with margins bearing spherical globular glands. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 10-12 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, truncate or with a slight basal rim, 2.5-3.5 mm long, pale green when fresh; limb submembranaceous, smooth, cylindric-campanulate, 6.5-9 mm long, translucent cream-colored when fresh; lobes triangular, acute, 1.5-4 mm long, rarely sparsely ciliate, margins bearing few to numerous sessile spherical globular glands which may rarely fuse into oblong glands; sinus obtuse or rounded; corolla cylindric, glabrous, 22-32 mm long and ca. 6-8 mm in diam., upper ¼ becoming bright red after anthesis, lobes triangular, reflexed at anthesis, 2 mm long; stamens 11.5-18 mm long; filaments alternately 2.8-4.5 mm and 5-8.5 mm long, the short ones pilose distally, the long ones pilose medially; anthers alternately 9.5-12 mm and 8.2-11 mm long; thecae slightly granular, ca. 3.5-5 mm long; tubules dehiscing by clefts 3-3.5 mm long; style ca. 26-30 mm long. Berry not seen.
Discussion:
Cavendishia speciosa differs from other members of subgen. Chlamydantha by its minute spherical globular glands on the floral bracts, calyx lobes, and bracteoles (when present). It has this character in common with C. glandulosa, although in the latter species the glands are more highly developed. Cavendishia speciosa differs from C. glandulosa by the characters given in the key. Cavendishia fusiformis and C. corei also possess these glands, but only at the base of the floral bracts or bracteoles.Smith (1943) thought that C. speciosa was most closely related to C. kalbreyeri. I have referred that species, however, to C. tarapotana var. tarapotana with the proviso that it may be of hybrid origin. It is in subgen. Cavendishia and, therefore, not at all closely related to C. speciosa.Some minor local variation within C. speciosa has appeared among my recent collections. Populations with leaves densely hispid beneath have been collected from the type locality (Luteyn et al. 7064, 7070) in addition to the glabrous ones of the type collection. Also Luteyn & Lebrón-Luteyn 7131, 7162, and 7169 show bracteoles present on the pedicels in contrast to the ebracteolate collections from the type locality. This is, in itself, an interesting feature since other species within subgen. Chlamydantha have also lost (or gained?) bracteoles in the course of evolution. For this reason I have not used this character alone to distinguish infraspecific ranks.The two collections from southern Antioquia (Lutevn & Lebrón-Luteyn 7131,7162) differ still further from the northern populations showing: broader leaves [(1.7-)2.5-7 cm vs. (1.2-)2-3.5(-4.3) cm] with a slightly different shape (elliptic to lance-elliptic vs. oblong to oblong-lanceolate) and nervation [(3-)5-plinerved from near the base vs. 3-plinerved from the base]; densely pilose vs. glabrous rachises and pedicels; bracteoles present vs. sometimes absent; hypanthium slightly rimmed basally vs. truncate; longer calyx limb and lobes (9 mm and 4 mm, respectively, vs. 6.5-8.5 mm and 1.5-3 mm); sinus obtuse not rounded; and corolla shorter in length and greater in diameter (22-25 X 8 mm vs. 32-38 x 6 mm). I have chosen not to recognize this variation taxonomically because of the few specimens available and the normally variable nature of all the above features in subgen. Chlamydantha.
Cavendishia speciosa differs from other members of subgen. Chlamydantha by its minute spherical globular glands on the floral bracts, calyx lobes, and bracteoles (when present). It has this character in common with C. glandulosa, although in the latter species the glands are more highly developed. Cavendishia speciosa differs from C. glandulosa by the characters given in the key. Cavendishia fusiformis and C. corei also possess these glands, but only at the base of the floral bracts or bracteoles.Smith (1943) thought that C. speciosa was most closely related to C. kalbreyeri. I have referred that species, however, to C. tarapotana var. tarapotana with the proviso that it may be of hybrid origin. It is in subgen. Cavendishia and, therefore, not at all closely related to C. speciosa.Some minor local variation within C. speciosa has appeared among my recent collections. Populations with leaves densely hispid beneath have been collected from the type locality (Luteyn et al. 7064, 7070) in addition to the glabrous ones of the type collection. Also Luteyn & Lebrón-Luteyn 7131, 7162, and 7169 show bracteoles present on the pedicels in contrast to the ebracteolate collections from the type locality. This is, in itself, an interesting feature since other species within subgen. Chlamydantha have also lost (or gained?) bracteoles in the course of evolution. For this reason I have not used this character alone to distinguish infraspecific ranks.The two collections from southern Antioquia (Lutevn & Lebrón-Luteyn 7131,7162) differ still further from the northern populations showing: broader leaves [(1.7-)2.5-7 cm vs. (1.2-)2-3.5(-4.3) cm] with a slightly different shape (elliptic to lance-elliptic vs. oblong to oblong-lanceolate) and nervation [(3-)5-plinerved from near the base vs. 3-plinerved from the base]; densely pilose vs. glabrous rachises and pedicels; bracteoles present vs. sometimes absent; hypanthium slightly rimmed basally vs. truncate; longer calyx limb and lobes (9 mm and 4 mm, respectively, vs. 6.5-8.5 mm and 1.5-3 mm); sinus obtuse not rounded; and corolla shorter in length and greater in diameter (22-25 X 8 mm vs. 32-38 x 6 mm). I have chosen not to recognize this variation taxonomically because of the few specimens available and the normally variable nature of all the above features in subgen. Chlamydantha.
Distribution:
Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America|
Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America|
Multimedia:
